Method of forming springs for pressure or the like gages.



A. B. COLLETTE. METHOD OF FORMING SPRING S FOR PRESSURE OR THE LIKEGAGES. APPLICATION FILED IAII. 2a. 1916.

l ,2Q3,982 Patented NOV. "7, 1916.

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AUSTIN B. COLLETTE, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICANSTEAM GAUGE &. VALVE MANUFACTURING 00., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF FORMING SPRINGS FOR PRESSURE OR THE LIKE GAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Original application filed May 19 1915, Serial No. 29,203. Divided andthis application fi1ed January 28, 1916. Serial No. 74,868.

To all whom it tnay concern Be it known that I, AUSTIN B. CoLLE'r'rE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Forming Springs for Pressure orthe likeGages, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to improvements in the method of forming springsfor pressure or the like gages and more particularly to. springs of thenature set forth in my copending application, Ser. No. 29,203, filed May19, 1915, and embodies the' sub ect matter which was divided out ofsaidapplication.

The object of this invention is to provide a method or process forconstructing gage springs in which a spring and socket may be formedintegral and from a single piece of material, the tube constituting saidspring being bent at an abrupt angle to the socket and at the point ofbending said tube has previously been indented transversely of said tubeto facilitate the bending there of, said indentation also constituting akink or buckle in said tube adapted to anticipate any buckling orkinking tendency which might otherwise develop during the expansion ofsaid tube upon the applicatlon of pressure thereto.

The invention consists in the several steps of the method ofmanufacturing springs substantially as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly as pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a metal rod fromwhich my spring is constructed. Fig. 2 illustrates said rod with a holebored longitudinally thereof for a portion of its length and its borethreaded. Fig. 3 shows the spring with the portion intermediate the endsthinned down and with the ends formed as hereinafter described. Fig. 1is a side elevation partly broken away and illustrating the portion ofthe spring adjacent the bent end or socket thereof being compressed orindented prior to having the open end portion bent at an an le to thetubular portion or body of the spring. Fig. 5 is a side elevation,partly broken away and shown in section, illustrating the spring afterit has been bent and flattened. Fig. 6 is a side elevatlon, similar toFig. 5, illustrating the sprlng bent and flattened for a portion of itslength, the major diameter of said flattened portion being arranged atan angle to the major diameter of said bend. the remaining portion ofthe bent end of said spring being shown flattened substantially at rightangles to said first mentioned flattened portion. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a gage spring constructed in accordance with theform illustrated in Fig. 5, which form is adapted to be attached to theback of a gage spring casing. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a springconstructed in accordance with the form illustrated in Fig. 6 whichshows a spring adapted to be attached to the side of a gage casing.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In the drawings, 15 is a gage spring; 16

is the spring tube; 17 is the tip of the tube;

18 the socket of said tube; 19 is a cylindrical bar of metal, see Fig.1, from which the spring tube of the gage is formed.

The first step in the process of manufacture preferably consists inboring a hole 20 in the bar 19 longitudinally thereof and preferablyextending partly therethrough, leaving a closed end 21 and an open end22. The bar 19 is turned down intermediate the ends 21 and 22 whichconstitutes the body portion thereof to form a thin tubular portionconstituting the spring tube 16. The open end of this spring tube thenterminates in a reinforced portion 23. This re' inforced portion isscrew-threaded upon its periphery at 24 and the bore of said end portion23 is also provided with a screw thread 25; said end portion 22 also hasa flange 26 thereon which may be and preferably is formed integral withthe tube 16 and when so formed is eoual in size to the diameter of thecylindrical bar of metal 19. The end 21 of said tube has been previously referred to as a closed end and preferably it is, although theinvention is not confined to this construction. It is essential toprovide a tip 17 to which the link of the gage mechanism, not shown inthe drawings, may be attached and one convenient method of producingsaid tip has been illustrated in Fig. 3, which consists in boring thehole 20 part way through the bar 19 instead of clear through and then inreducing the unbored portion to the size desired, preferably as shown at17, Fig. 3, thereby producing a tip which is integral with the tube. Thetube, after being brought to the form illustrated in Fig. 3 andsubstantially filled with material adapted to prevent the collapsing orbuckling thereof, is indented or flattened, preferably on opposite sidesthereof at 27, by suitable compressing tools 28. The end portion 22 isthen bent preferably at an abrupt angle to the tubular or body portionof the spring 16 and subsequently to this bending operation the tube 16is flattened at 29 for a portion of the length of the body of said tube.This flattening may be done so that the major diameter of the flattenedtube will lie substantially parallel with the axis of the end portion 22and said flattened portion will extend substantially the length of saidbody portion as in Fig. 7, or said flattened portion may extend for onlya portion of the length of said tube as at 30, see Fig. 8, while theremaining portion 31 of said tube may be flattened with its majordiameter extending at right angles to the major diameter of the portion30.

The flattened portion 30 of the spring tube illustrated in Fig. 6 issubstantially identical in character to the flattened portion 29 of theform illustrated in Fig. 5 except that it is of less extent. The springtube shown in Fig. 6 up to and including the flattened portion 30embodies the same number of operations and operations of the samecharacter as does the spring tube shown in Fig; 5 up to this point inits construction. The only other difference between the two tubes shownis in the angle in which the body of the tube is flattened toaccommodate the particular mounting to which the tubes are to beattached.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the flattened portion 29 is continuedthroughout the body portion of the tube, thus arranging the majordiameter of the flattened portion substantially parallel with the axisof the socket end 22 of the spring, while in the form shown in Fig. 6the body portion of said tube is flattened from the flattened portion 30at an angle substantially 90 to said flattened portion 30. After beingflattened as hereinbefore stated the tube in either form of spring isthen bent or curved along the flattened body portion preferably in asemi-circular form.

The indenting of the tube, by means of the tools 28, 28, to produce theindentations 27, enables the tube to be bent at this portion withoutstretching the stock of the tube. Furthermore, it permits the main bodyof said tube to be bent at a short or abrupt angle relatively to thesocket portion to permit the same to be made in compact form and therebyoccupy less room in the gage casing and furthermore to provide a tubewhich will not acquire a permanent set in the vicinity of the socketthereof should excessive pressures be applied thereto in the operationof said gage.

There are two ways in which gages constructed as hereinbefore set/forth,may be mounted. One is to connect the fluid supply pipe through the backof the gage casing, not shown, while the other is to connect said fluidsupply pipe through the side of said casing. lVhen it is desired toconnect said gage to the back the socket or open end of the spring isarranged with its axis substantially at right angles to a planecontaining the median axial line of the semi circular portion of saidtube as illustrated in Fig. 7. In this form of tube the flattenedportion 29 extends from the indentation 27 substantially throughout thelength of the body of said tube. When the gage is to be connected to theside or bottom of the casing the socket or open end portion 22 thereofisarranged With its axis substantially in a plane containing the medianaxial line of said semi-circular .portion as illustrated in the formshown in Fig. 8, in which form the flattened portion 30extends only ashort distance from the indented portion 27 of said tube, but theremaining portion of said tube is arranged With its major diametertransverse to the axis of the socket 22. To fasten the tube 16 may bevaried according to the pressure which is to be brought to bear upon it.

The flattened portions 29 and 30 of the two forms of springs,illustrated respectively in Figs. 5 and 6, are preferably arranged tocontact at 32 with the walls of the end portions 22 of said tubes inorder to assist in supporting and stiffening the curved portions of saidtubes.

The operation of the instrument as a whole is well understood by thoseskilled in the art and briefly stated is as follows: Fluid, underpressure, enters the tube 16 through the bore of the socket or open end22 and the pressure of said fluid causes the tip end of the tube to moveoutwardly from the axis of said socket, thus actuating whatevermechanism may be attached to said end. When the amount of pressure isreduced the free end of the tube moves inwardly reversing the motion ofthe mechanism attached to said. tube.

With the form shown in Fig. 7, the major diameter of the indented orbent portion of the tube being at right angles to the major diameter ofthe flattened body portion of the tube, the tendency to buckle or kinkat this point will be eliminated for the reason that this is the placeWhere such Would occur if at all. When the spring is constructed likethat illustrated in Fig. 8 there can be no possible chance for kinkingtaking place at the bend or indented portion of the tube, for the reasonthat it has already been kinked during the indenting thereof, there foreno material change in the form of the tube can result through anabnormal or continued high pressure therein. Furthermore, the Walls ofthe flattened portion 30 contacting With the Walls of the socket at 32greatly strengthen and support the body or spring portion of said tubeduring the operation thereof. Either construction set forth will resultin a tube adapted to Withstand a continued excessive pressure Withoutacquiring a permanent set.

Having thus described my invention What I claim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is:

1. The herein described method of forming a gage spring tube whichconsists in boring a hole in a metal bar longitudinally thereof for apredetermined portion of its length leaving at least one end of said baropen, then in bending the open end of said bar at an abrupt angle to thebody of said bar, then in flattening said bar from said bend for aportion of the length thereof, and finally curving said flattenedportion.

2. The herein described method of forming a gage spring Which consistsin boring a hole in a metal bar longitudinally thereof for apredetermined portion of its length, then in removing a portion of themetal from the exterior of said bar intermediate of the ends to form acomparatively thin Walled tube terminating at one end in an end portionof greater thickness than said thin tubular portion, then in flatteningsaid thin Walled portion for a predetermined portion of its length, andfinally in bending said flattened portion.

3. The herein described method of forming a gage spring which consistsin boring a hole in a metal bar longitudinally thereof for apredetermined portion of its length, then removing a portion of themetal from the exterior of said bar intermediate of the ends to form acomparatively thin Walled tube terminating at one end in an end portionof greater thickness than said thin tubular portion, then bending saidtube adjacent &

to said thickened end portion to bring the same at an abrupt angle tosaid tube, then flattening a predetermined portion of said thin tubularportion, and finally bending it substantially in the form of asemi-circle.

4. The herein described method of forming a gage spring Which consistsin boring a hole in a metal bar longitudinally thereof, then in removinga portion of the metal from the exterior of said bar intermediate of theends to form a comparatively thin Walled tube terminating in an endportion one end thereof of larger diameter than said thin tubularportion, then in indenting said thin tubular portion upon opposite sidesthereof at points adjacent to the thickened end of said tube, then inbending said tube at said indented portion to bring said thickenedportion at an abrupt angle to said tube, then in flattening said tubularportion for a predetermined portion of its length, and finally inbending said flattened portion.

5. The herein described method of form ing a gage spring tube Whichconsists in boring a hole in a metal bar longitudinally thereof for apredetermined portion of its length, then in removing a portion of themetal from the exterior of said bar intermediate the ends to form acomparatively thin tube terminating at one end in a portion of greaterthickness than said thin tubular portion, then in indenting said thinwalled portion at a point adjacent to the thickened end thereof, then inbending said tube at said indented portion tobring said thickenedportion of said tube substantially at right angles to the thin Walledportion of said tube, then in flattening said thin Walled portion for apredetermined distance the major diameter of said flattened portionbeing substantially parallel with the axis of said end portion, then inbending said tube to form a spring.

6. The herein described method of forming a gage spring which consistsin forming a metal tube, then in indenting said tube transversely andadjacent to one end thereof, then in bending said end at said indent-ation to bring said end portion at an abrupt angle to the body of saidtube, then in flattening a predetermined portion of said body, andfinally curving said flattened portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

AUSTIN B. COLLETTE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GoonING, SYDNEY E. TAFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C.

